Proposal Would Cut Security To Save Local Ferry Service

April 12, 2009|By Dan Parsons, dparsons@dailypress.com 247-7840

JAMES CITY — Local officials are maneuvering against a state proposal to scale back service at the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, at the expense of federally required safety measures that are seen by some as more of a nuisance than a form of protection.

Stan Clark, an Isle of Wight County supervisor and a contender for the state House seat held by Del. William K. Barlow, is leading the effort. Barlow is a Democrat who represents the 64th District, which includes Isle of Wight and James City County.

"Everybody who's ridden that ferry agrees that the security checks are not only not effective, but probably not needed," Clark said Thursday. "If we can save $1.6 million on the cost of providing security that isn't needed, we're most of the way to achieving the savings VDOT would achieve by cutting back on the ferry."

The state Department of Transportation has proposed cutting the 24-hour ferry service to 16 hours daily as part of a sweeping statewide cost-saving plan to plug a $2.6 billion hole in its budget. Scaling back ferry service is expected to save about $1.9 million annually.

Clark has contacted U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-Chesapeake, to ask his help in sidestepping a federal mandate that security be provided for the ferry route. Surry County supervisors are working to get U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, D-Newport News, on the case as well.

Clark doesn't know whether his quest will bear fruit, but said he is dedicated to keeping the ferry - by which he estimated 70 percent of Isle of Wight's tourism flows - running around the clock.

The security screenings at each ferry dock are mandated by the 2002 Maritime Securities Act - a federal law that prescribed security measures for public passenger vessels in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. By law, vessels that carry 150 passengers or more must have a certain level of security to be issued a certificate of operation.

The four ferries that run between Scotland and Jamestown each meet or exceed that threshold, said VDOT spokeswoman Lauren Hansen.

Though security is mandated by the federal government, the cost falls on VDOT's shoulders. The $1.6 million covers a security detail of between 32 and 35 armed security guards provided by a private security firm, according to Hansen. The guards each are provided basic weather gear, a sidearm, a nonlethal weapon and a flashlight.

At least six guards, split between the Scotland and Jamestown piers, are posted at all times in three eight-hour shifts. They randomly select vehicles to screen before cars are allowed to board the ferries. The exact security protocol could not be made public, said Hansen.

Despite the federal mandate, Clark believes Congress can grant the ferry route a waiver to operate without the security checks or with at least a scaled-back, less expensive version. Barlow, on the other hand, would like the federal government to pick up the tab for security checks instead of the state, he said.

"Some people think the security is needed and some don't, but what I've been suggesting is to have the federal government pay for security checks if they feel having them is a matter of national security," said Barlow, who supports having 24-hour ferry service. "This would free up state money and possibly keep the ferry running all day."

James City County Administrator Sandy Wanner, also working to find a solution to the ferry cutbacks, offhandedly suggested using county law-enforcement personnel to provide a security presence at times, but has not officially pitched the idea.

VDOT does not keep a log of incidents handled by ferry security guards, but numerous arrests have been made involving "threats to the ferry, contraband and assistance in breaking up fights," Hansen said.

"The biggest thing we have found is that having the security presence there has been a deterrent to people breaking the law," she said.